Free To Be Me
by Julyangel16
Summary: It's Mai's first day at a new school. She has left her old life and tried to start a new one on her own. Although she tries to hide her living conditions, they eventually are revealed to Tohru Honda and the Sohmas. The Sohmas take her in and the adventures begin.
1. Chapter 1

I slowly walked toward the front office, eyes fixed straight ahead. Another new school.

_At least I got to choose where I wanted to go this time…_

I walked into the office. A small bell chimed as the door opened, causing an older lady behind the desk to look up.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, coming to a halt in front of the desk. "My name is Mai Takaki and it's my first day here." It was already the middle of the school year. _I wonder how much I have missed? _I thought.

"Ah yes. One moment, let me print out your schedule." She stood and disappeared behind the corner. My mind began to wander, still wondering about the curriculum.

"Here you are." The woman's voice brought me back to reality. The woman was back and she was holding out a half sheet of paper.

"Thank you." My fingers grasped the schedule and I turned quickly.

"Your class is down the hall on your right and—" The door slammed shut before she could finish. I turned right and began walking again. I'd find my class eventually. My eyes scanned the crowd, trying to determine who belonged to which cliques. My skirt swished with each step, making me feel extremely self-conscious.

"I hate skirts," I mumbled, coming to a stop at the end of the hallway. _Crap… Now what?_

A group of girls stood nearby, whispering and glancing at me. Buttons with a crown and a "Y" were pinned proudly on their uniforms. I resisted the urge to snap at them. My hand curled into a fist.

"Can I help you?" I heard a voice from behind. I spun and found myself face to face with a beautiful silver haired boy. It took me a moment to regain myself.

"Yes. I don't know where my next class is…" I held up my now crumpled schedule, letting him take it for examination. A glance to my left told me the girls were still there, but now they were glaring at me. _If looks could kill_, I thought.

"We're in the same class. I just finished up with my Student Council duties. Would you like me to escort you?"

"Alright." I replied with a smile.

He smiled back. It was breathtaking. "Wonderful. This way."

As I walked beside this gorgeous boy, all my insecurities about my body came flooding into my mind. My almost too muscular body, my flat chest, my straight ordinary dirty blonde hair, my dull blue eyes… The sound of his voice made me look up.

"I forgot to ask your name," the boy said, turning to look at me. Purple eyes. How unusual.

"Oh, I'm Mai Takaki."

"Well it's very nice to meet you Takaki-Chan." _Chan? Wow. Very formal. _I thought.

He stopped in front of a door labeled "1-D." He opened it, gesturing for me to enter.

"Thank you," I breathed as I stepped into the hectic classroom. I immediately felt like an intruder. The teacher looked up, noticing me. A smile spread across her lips and she walked over.

"You must be Takaki-Kun." A sweet, caring voice. That was good. "Your seat is right next to Sohma-Kun." She pointed to an orange-haired boy starting out the window. I nodded politely and walked over. My books made a semi loud thud as they landed on the wood, making me wince. The boy didn't even acknowledge me.

Lunch came quickly and I avoided everyone. I climbed to the roof and sat on the edge, staring out at the horizon as I ate. I absentmindedly scratched at a mosquito bite, wishing I could be at the Dojo training. That had always been my happy place.

I had started training when I was eight and no matter what the situation, I continued to train. I would sometimes walk miles just to get to the Dojo and away from my "family."

Family. I put down my food, suddenly not hungry. I will never have a family. Even my own father didn't want me, let alone the tons of foster families I'd been through. I finally made the decision to live on my own and it has been going pretty well, I must say. I always tried to make up for my lack of family though. No matter where I was, I would try my best to make friends. It made the pain in my heart slightly easier to deal with.

The bell rang and I quickly walked to class, sitting next to the orange haired boy again. He ignored me, again. Might as well try and start up a conversation.

"Hi," I said, looking up at him. He shot me a quick glare before turning back to the window. I sighed. So much for that plan…

After class, I began to pack my things. _Time to get to work._ I heard footsteps and looked up.

"Hi!" A cheerful brunette smiled, waving happily. The silver haired boy stood behind her.

"Hi," I said.

"I saw you walk in with Yuki-Kun." _So that's his name…_ "I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Tohru Honda."

"I'm Mai Takaki."

"Would you like to eat lunch with us tomorrow?" she asked me.

"Um, sure." I liked her. She was nice. I glanced at my watch, the last thing I had left of my mom. "Well, I have to go. I have work." I waved goodbye before walking out the door.

Work was a drag, as usual. More cleaning. It's always cleaning. I pulled on my normal shirt and folded my work uniform nicely, placing it in my locker. The cool night air blew against my sweaty face. A welcome breeze. My footsteps echoed off the stone buildings as I started off.

"Mai?" I turned. Who was calling my name? "Mai! It is you!" Honda-Chan ran over and Yuki-Kun followed slowly.

"Um, what are you doing here?" I asked, still confused.

"Oh, I work in that building." She pointed to the place I had just exited.

"Oh, me too." _Wow. I actually knew someone at work._

"Really?!" Honda-Chan's eyes grew wide with excitement. "That's great!"

"Would you like us to walk you home?" Yuki asked politely.

"No," I snapped, a little harsher than desired. I couldn't meet his gaze. It felt like he would see straight through me. "I-I mean no thank you." They couldn't know that I was living in a homeless shelter. No one could.

I waved quickly before walking off.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, I was walking down an empty hallway on my way to the bathroom. The orange top still wasn't talking to me and I had no idea why. I heard someone clear their voice and looked up to find the group of girls from yesterday.

"Oh, excuse me," I said and went to step around them, but they moved in front of me.

"You need to stay away from Yuki-Sama," the middle one, who was obviously the leader, snapped.

"Why?" I may be a people pleaser, but I wasn't a push over.

"Because Prince Yuki deserves someone better than you and you need to leave him alone."

I giggled. "I think you have it all wrong."

"What do you mean?"

I sighed and looked at the ground. "I have no chance with him… Why would anyone want to date me…" The girl seemed to relax and put her hand on my shoulder.

"What's your name?"

"Mai."

"Well Mai, I'm Minami Kinoshita. I'm the vice president of Prince Yuki's fan club."

"Yuki-Kun's a prince?" I asked confused.

"No, but he is to us!" I nodded, still puzzled.

"Well, I have to use the restroom then get back to class," I said, gently lifting her hand off my shoulder.

"Alright. Just watch out for Tohru Honda. She's a witch." I opened my mouth to say something, but they were gone. _Watch out for Honda-San? Was her nice act just that? An act?_ I couldn't pay attention the rest of the day. When it was time for lunch, Honda-San walked over smiling.

"Ready to eat?" I nodded and stood, walking quietly behind her. She led me toward a group sitting in the courtyard.

"Mai, this is Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima." I bowed quickly for the girls before sitting. I glanced up as the orange top walked over and sat down.

"Hello Kyo-Kun!" Honda-San smiled. He simply grunted.

"Where's Yuki-Kun?" I asked, looking around.

"Probably off with his fan club," Kyo-Kun muttered. I looked at him, puzzled until he glared at me. I quickly turned away, trying not to blush.

"He has a Student Council meeting." Honda-San said.

"So Mai-Bo," Uotani-San said rudely, causing me to look up. "Where are you from?"

"I move a lot." That wasn't a lie.

"Oh really? Are your parent's business people or something?"

"Oh…yes…" A strange sensation washed over me and I looked up, eyes locking with Hanajima-San. My muscles froze. I couldn't look away.

"Saki-Chan, stop frightening the new girl," Tohru-San said and the girl released me. I looked back at my food, not planning on meeting anyone else's gaze. They left me alone.

After school, I ran happily toward the Dojo. It was my first time in weeks. I could always be more of myself there. No one would mess with me, since I was one of the only black belts there. The door slid opened easily. "Sensei, I'm here!" I called, simultaneously pulling off my shoes. I quickly changed into my training outfit and ran into a large room while tying my belt. I froze. Kazuma-Sensei was talking with Kyo-Kun in the middle of the room. He turned as the door opened.

"Ah, Takaki-Chan. It's so nice to see you again. This is my adopted son Kyo Sohma. You two will be partners from now on."

"What?!" Kyo-Kun and I exclaimed in unison.

"Sensei you can't be serious…" Kyo-Kun groaned.

"You two are my best students. It is logical that you fight each other." He walked out. I turned back to Kyo-Kun. His hair was standing straight up, making him look like an angry cat. A put a hand over my mouth to hide a giggle, but it didn't work. His auburn eyes locked onto me.

"What're you laughing at?" he snapped.

"You. You look like an angry cat." I began to laugh. Suddenly, his foot was speeding toward me. I flipped back, sinking into a ready position.

"If it's a fight you want…" I ran forward for an attack.

Kyo-Kun slammed into the ground. I straightened, smiling widely. "I win!" I glanced at the clock. "Dang it!" I turned on my heel, running toward the door.

"What? Running away?"

"No, I have work, stupid," I called over my shoulder. Suddenly, I was pinned to the wall. Kyo-Kun's face was only inches from mine.

"Don't ever call me stupid," he hissed. I looked up into his eyes. I could see the anger burning like fire, but there was something else. Sadness?

"Alright, alright, just get off me," I said. He stepped back, letting me run out the door again.

I ran into the building, changing quickly. I was late. AGAIN! I threw open the door and stopped. "Oh, Naoki-Sama. Excuse me." I bowed and went to step around him, but he stood in the way again. "I-Is something wrong?" I asked.

"This is the third time this week that you are late," he sighed and handed me a pink piece of paper. My eyes filled with tears and I bowed again, turning. I slowly changed and left my uniform in my locker.

Fired… I had been fired… The tears ran slowly down my face as I walked to my apartment. A bone chilling wind cut straight through my thin sweater, causing me to shiver. My feet made no noise as I walked down the hallway of the apartment toward the owner's room. My dried out knuckles wrapped on the wood. The hinges squeaked as the door swung open.

"Ah Takaki-Chan. How are you?"

I couldn't meet his gaze. "I was fired, Yori-Sama. I-I won't be able to pay my rent this month."

He bit his lip. "Then I am sorry to say that you will have to leave." He glanced at his watch and sighed. "I need you to pack up your things and be gone by tomorrow." I nodded and turned, running down the hallway. The lock clicked and I flipped on the light, looking around my small room. I pulled out my only suitcase and began to pack. I listed off things in my head as I set them in the suitcase. Four skirts, three shirts, one dress, five bows, three pairs of shoes, two jackets, and a coat.


	3. Chapter 3

I decided to skip school. I needed to find a job. I had the rest of the day in my apartment before I had to leave. I would be able to find a job by then. My whole day was spent going from store to store, begging for work of any kind but lady luck was not with me today. I slowly walked back to the apartment building and grabbed my suitcase.

I walked out into the freezing wind and hurried into an empty alley. I set down my pillow and pulled out my blanket, curling into a ball next to a dumpster and falling asleep.

I walked into class late. That was the worst night's sleep I ever had in my life. I apologized to the teacher and sat next to Kyo-Kun.

"What happened to you?" he asked, eyebrow rising. I shot him a glare.

"How late am I?" I whispered.

"We've already had lunch." I let out an exasperated sigh and buried my face in my arms. I felt awful.

Someone began to shake me. A groan escaped my lips and I looked up to see a worried Tohru-San and Yuki-Kun. Kyo-Kun was still sitting next to me, but didn't look worried.

"Are you alright, Mai-San?" she asked.

"Fine," I replied, standing and stumbling slightly. I quickly gathered my books and walked out, avoiding all the streets where I knew my classmates might be. Rats danced around my feet as I walked through the alley. I ignored the wolf whistles of the homeless men, determined to get to my suitcase. I sat down, dust flying up, causing me to cough.

I was late everyday for the next week. My grades began to drop and I had to stay after school with my teacher in order to get caught up. It was so hard to stay awake. My head hurt, I was always tired, my last full night's sleep was in the apartment, and I had barely anything to eat.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm fine." I gathered up my bag and walked out. The world was blurry and loud. My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to tune it all out. I thought I heard my name every so often but I couldn't really tell. I just wanted to get to sleep. The wind was still blowing as I stepped outside. I pulled my jacket tightly around me and walked down the street, still ignoring everyone. Soon, I was at the alley and had no memory of what had actually happened on the way there. I knelt next to my suitcase and began to slowly search for my hairbrush. My fingers weakly gripped at the handle, finally picking up the brush and weakly pulling it through my hair. My body ached all over.

"Mai?"

I froze and slowly turned, eyes widening when I saw Yuki-Kun, Tohru-San, and Kyo-Kun. "H-Hi…" I muttered.

"Is this where you live?" Yuki-Kun looked around the alley. I looked at the ground, ashamed.

"For now…" Suddenly the brush was snatched from my hand and Kyo-Kun lifted my suitcase into the air. He turned on his heel and walked out of the alley with my stuff.

"Hey!" I protested, jumping to my feet. I took a few steps forward and suddenly felt lightheaded. I stumbled, the alley spinning as I fell. Then everything was black.

_The world was black. I floated slowly through the emptiness and gasped softly as my feet touched a solid surface, but I couldn't see a floor. Unrecognizable voices echoed through the darkness, their words too soft to be understood. A person appeared in the distance, face hidden by a hood. I held my breath as he turned and looked at me, eyes searing into mine. He turned and began to walk away._

_"Wait!" I ran after him, unable to get any closer. "Wait!" The man began to disappear again._

_"No, please don't leave me alone!"_

I gasped and sat up, grabbing my throbbing head. Tears dampened my cheeks and I quickly wiped them away. Suddenly, I was aware of my surroundings. A white room…with furniture, nice furniture. And I was in a bed. Where was I?

The door opened and Tohru-San walked in. She smiled and set a tray of food on my lap. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, but where am I? Is this a hospital?"

"No," she said. Someone else walked into the room.

"Ah, Takaki-Chan. How are you feeling?" Yuki-Kun asked.

"F-fine…" Now I was really confused.

"You're at Shigure Sohma's house." Tohru-San said. My eyes widened and I nodded. I stared at my food, gently picking at it with my chopsticks. Yuki-Kun and Tohru-San left. I stood and changed, walking out onto the patio and staring into the woods.

"So, you're finally awake." I turned to see who had spoken, but there was no one. My gaze slowly rose to find Kyo-Kun sitting on the roof.

"How long was I out?"

"Three days."

"Dang it," I growled. I had missed my one-on-one training with Kazuma-Sensei.

"Don't worry. I told Sensei why you skipped out on him." I rolled my eyes and walked back into the room, starting to pack my few things. The stairs squeaked as I descended. I found Yuki-Kun, Tohru-San, and whom I guessed was Shigure-Kun in the dining room.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I greatly appreciate it." I bowed and slipped on my shoes, walking out the door. Kyo-Kun landed in front of me.

"We're not letting you go that easily," he said, eyes flashing.

"I beat you before and I can do it again. Out of my way."

"Kyo-Kun? Got beat by a girl?" Shigure-Kun began to laugh. Kyo-Kun growled.

"Takaki-Chan." Yuki-Kun was suddenly right behind me. He was so close. I could barely breathe. He was so beautiful. "We are not going to let you live on the street." He began to take my suitcase. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. My fingers tightened on the handle, refusing to let go.

"We could always use another maid," Shigure-Kun said.

Yuki-Kun nodded. "If you are uncomfortable with simply staying here you could help Honda-Chan. That would act as your rent."

"I don't need anyone…" His slim finger lifted my chin so I was looking into his purple eyes. I knew that was how he convinced many of the girls at school, but I was not a normal girl.

"Please Takaki-Chan," he said softly. I slapped his hand away.

"Fine," I hissed and marched upstairs. The door slammed and I sat on the bed, knees pulled to my chest. I began to rock back and forth, eyes glued to the wall. I couldn't lose control, not again. My eyes closed as I tried to find my happy place.


	4. Chapter 4

I had been living with the Sohma's for a few weeks now. Kyo-Kun had become less mean since we trained together every other day. It seemed like I was the only one he trusted, even though he didn't trust me _that_ much. Tohru-San was so nice, she had become like the big sister I had always wanted. Arisa-San and Saki-San had become the protective older sisters. They all thought I couldn't take care of myself.

I had actually become popular at school. Everyone was so nice, even the Prince Yuki club members. Today we were planning for our riceball stand, but no one was really paying attention. I sat at a table with Tohru-San, Arisa-San, and Saki-San. Tohru-San was actually paying attention, while Arisa-San had her head on the desk, Saki-San was braiding her hair and I was drawing. Tohru-San stood and made a suggestion but I didn't pay attention.

Suddenly, Kyo-Kun was yelling about fighting for the riceballs. An idea popped into my head and I stood.

"What if we had a sale?" I said softly and everyone turned.

"What do you mean?" Yuki-Kun asked.

"Well, we could have mystery riceball flavors and people could buy two and get a mystery flavor free."

Yuki-Kun smiled. "That's a great idea." Everyone agreed. Kyo-Kun got upset, as usual. I stopped listening when I felt something nudged my foot. I bent down and picked up the kitten. Pretty soon, a bunch of cats were on Kyo-Kun.

"Aw, they're so cute!" one girl said. Kyo-Kun jumped up and ran out. I glanced at my friends before running after him. I climbed on the roof, knowing he liked high places.

"Found you." I smiled. He jumped, and then glared at me.

"Don't do that!" He exclaimed, and I sat next to him and allowed a cat to crawl onto my lap.

"They're so cute." I gently stroked the animal's head.

"Yeah… They can get annoying though."

"Annoying?" I looked up.

"They always flock to me… They won't leave me alone sometimes."

"I can see how that would get annoying." I nodded. He looked like he really wanted to tell me something, but was holding it back as he usually did.

"Come on." I smiled. "Let's go train!"

It was the day of carnival; I stood by the wall yawning. We had to get up early in order to start building the booth on time. I watched Kyo-Kun and a few other boys hammering nails into wood. I wasn't allowed to help because that was "man's work." Tohru-San was off making riceballs. I wasn't allowed to help with that either or get anywhere near the kitchen. I always messed everything up food-wise. Yuki-Kun was standing with the other student council representative observing everything. The door opened, causing me to turn. A few senior girls walked in giggling.

"Yuki-Sama?" the one in front said.

"Yes?" he turned.

"We bought a present for you," she said and pulled out a dress from behind her back. I bit my lip, trying my best to keep in a laugh. I glanced at Kyo-Kun, noticing the amused look in his eyes. I turned back to see Yuki-Kun's answer. He was too nice to refuse. He gathered the dress up in his arms, smiling at the seniors.

"Thank you for the thoughtful gift."

I stood next to the stand, watching the crowds buy the riceballs. They were mostly there because they wanted to see Yuki-Kun in a dress. The Prince Yuki Fan Club was being crowd control.

"He looks so sad," I said softly, watching Yuki-Kun's face.

"It's his fault for being such a pushover," Kyo-Kun said, with a mouthful of rice.

"Be nice," I scolded playfully, slapping his arm. He pushed my head away and I giggled. I heard gasping and looked up to see a man putting a stethoscope to Yuki-Kun's chest.

"Oh no…" Kyo-Kun growled. A bright blonde haired little boy appeared in front of me.

"Are you Mai-San?" he asked.

"Um… Yes…" I said confused.

"I'm Momiji Sohma!" he smiled, and then let out a cry of pain as Kyo-Kun hit him in the head.

"Shut up," Kyo-Kun growled. Momiji-Chan began to cry. I walked away. I was not good with whining kids. I began to fix part of the stand, which was tearing up. Momiji-Chan appeared beside me again.

"You know about us right?" he asked.

I looked at him, even more confused. "Um… Yes…" I was guessing he was talking about being a Sohma.

"Then I can hug you!" he exclaimed. His arms wrapped around me, pushing me back behind the curtain with the force. I heard Kyo-Kun yelling something. I slid across the floor, bumping into a desk. I looked up to make sure Momiji-Chan was okay, rubbing my head. My eyes widened when I saw a rabbit sitting on my knee and Momiji-Chan's clothes lying on the floor. Everyone pushed through the curtain to make sure we were okay.

"Mai-San? Are you alright?" one girl asked.

"Where's Momiji-Chan?" another said. More and more questions I couldn't answer. I simply sat there, eyes wide, staring at the rabbit. All the voices were faint and buzzing, like a bad radio station. Yuki-Kun's voice came through the buzzing, but was still static. The pressure of everyone disappeared and it was just Kyo-Kun and Tohru-San left.

Kyo-Kun lifted the rabbit angrily, growling a comment at it. The rabbit spoke back. That was the last straw. While their backs were turned, I stood and ran out of the room. I climbed to the roof, hiding behind the air conditioning unit. I pulled my knees to my chest and began to rock back and forth. A rabbit. He turned into a rabbit. I tried to wrap my mind around it but couldn't.

"Mai-San?" I looked up at the sound of my name. Tohru-San and Kyo-Kun were standing in front of me. "Are you alright?" Tohru-Kun asked. I opened my mouth but no words came out. Tohru-Kun glanced at Kyo-Kun and he nodded.

"Let me explain," she aid and sat next to me.

"Do you understand?" I nodded, staring out over the horizon. Animals. They all turned into animals. Even Kyo-Kun. I stood.

"I need to go," I said and walked out of school. I didn't know where I was going, just that I had to get there. I looked up to find myself at the Dojo. I walked in, slipping off my shoes. I changed and began to go through my techniques.

"Mai-Chan?" I stopped and turned, seeing Kazuma-Sensei in the doorway. "What are you doing here so late?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but instead began to sob. I sank to my knees, burying my face in my hands. I felt an arm around me and turned, crying into Kazuma-Sensei's chest. He rubbed my back, waiting for me to calm down enough to talk.

"They're all animals," I whimpered after the sobbing had stopped. The tears continued to run down my face.

"So you know?" he asked. I nodded.

"It…It's not the fact that they're animals that freaks me out." I said. "I-I have a bad experience with the zodiac animal story. When I was in one of my foster homes, I was the oldest one there and I was telling the younger kids a bedtime story. I told them the story of the zodiac animals. When I walked out of the room, my foster father was waiting for me. H-He beat me near to death and told me to never tell that story again." She wiped away the tears and took a shuddering breath. "And… And it just brings back awful memories I have repressed for years."

"Mai-San, look at me." I looked up into Kazuma-Sensei's trusting eyes. _He called me San…._ "It'll be okay. None of them are going to hurt you."

I nodded. "Please don't tell anyone I'm from foster homes," I said.

"I won't. Now you should get home. It's really late." I nodded again and hugged him. I stood and went to change. I heard voices and could have sworn that one of them was Kyo-Kun's, but I decided to ignore them. I began to walk home; I stared at the ground, lost in thought. The door silently slid open and I took off my shoes. The wind was knocked out of me as Tohru-San hugged me.

"Mai-San! Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine. I just needed time to think about everything," I smiled and looked up as Yuki-Kun and Shigure-Sama walked in. I nodded to them. They nodded, understanding I was all right with it. We talked for a few hours, and then I walked upstairs looking for Kyo-Kun. I climbed to the shingled roof and silently walked across it, sitting next to him.

"Hey," I said softly. He didn't respond. _Was I losing my friend?_ "Are you alright?" He simply nodded.

I tried to stop the tears but, as usual, was unsuccessful. "Kyo-Kun, I'm sorry if I hurt you. I was just shocked, and the zodiac story brought back traumatic memories." He still didn't speak. "Kyo-Kun please…" I gently touched his hand. He pulled it away and stood.

"You don't have to lie," he growled. "You're afraid. Why wouldn't you be afraid? We're freaks. Don't come crawling back to us acting like you're okay with it."

I jumped to my feet, suddenly angry. "Don't accuse me of anything! You have no clue what I've been through!"

"Like I care. I've had an awful childhood too, so don't expect me to get all sorry for you like the kids at school."

"I don't want your sympathy and I don't need it! I didn't ask to be popular, it just happened. So quit being stupid and calm down." His leg sped toward my head and I put up my arm, blocking it.

"Don't call me stupid!" We began to fight, feet barely making any noise against the shingles.

I grunted as I landed on my butt. I looked up at a smirking Kyo-Kun. "Now we're even," he said and offered me a hand. I took it and he lifted me easily to my feet. I looked up to find his face inches from mine. I suddenly began to laugh.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"When I first met you at the dojo, you got mad and looked like an angry cat. Now I know why." I began to laugh again. He rolled his eyes. A cold breeze blew and I shivered.

"You need to go inside," he said.

"Yes mom," I teased. I stuck out my tongue and ran to the ladder, climbing down quickly.


	5. Chapter 5

I walked through the graveyard in my large winter coat. The scarf whipped around behind me in the wind. I knelt in front of my mother's grave.

"Hey mom," I said brushing the snow off the gravestone. "How've you been? I've been okay. I ran away from my foster family… I know I shouldn't have, but I didn't want to stay in that dreadful place anymore. It was horrible." Tears started to run down my face. "I wish you were here. I miss you so much. I-I met a new family though. They're letting me stay with them. It's the Sohma family. There's Shigure-Sama, he's nice, but he's kind of a pervert. Yuki-Kun us really nice, he's polite and always helps me with my homework. You'd get along with him well. Kyo-Kun is still puzzling to me. He's my partner at the dojo and he seems to trust me- but he's so secretive all the time. I don't know what to do.

"Then there's Tohru-San. She's staying with the Sohma's, like me. We're both working as maids to pay for our rent. I'm in charge of laundry and cleaning and Tohru-Kun's in charge of the kitchen. I'm not allowed to touch anything in there. You know how I am with cooking." I laughed. "I mess up whatever I touch." I sat there silently, letting the snowflakes stick to my hair and eyelashes. My tears made small puffs of steam as they hit the cold stone of the grave. I sat there a bit more, then said, "Well, I have to go now mom. I don't want them to start worrying. I love you." I stood and walked down the street, not bothering to wipe my tears away. I entered the house and slipped off my shoes. I found Tohru-San sitting alone, crying. On the table were a mug and a picture of a woman. I smiled and sat next to her, hugging her tightly.

"How long?"

"May 1st," she said, hugging me back.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Mine died on November 18th."

"Oh no! Did we miss the funeral?!"

"No, Tohru-San, it was fourteen years ago."

"Oh…" she sighed.

I chuckled softly. "It's okay. Just don't tell the guys please. I don't really want anyone else to know." Tohru-San nodded. We both looked up as the door slammed open. Yuki-Kun and Kyo-Kun stood panting, staring at us, two crying girls hugging each other at the table. I quickly wiped away my tears, as did Tohru-San.

"What're you two doing?" I asked.

"We've decided not to go to the New Year's banquet," Yuki-Kun smiled. I smiled back. Tohru-San glanced at the clock and gasped.

"Oh no! We're going to miss the sunrise!" She jumped up and grabbed her coat. I did the same.

Tohru-San sat on the roof next to Yuki-Kun, talking and smiling. I carefully climbed up, balancing a tray of hot chocolate. All of my concentration was focused on not spilling the hot liquid everywhere. My foot hit an icy patch of roof and I gasped as I began to fall. Hands caught my elbows, pulling me back to my feet. I looked up to see Kyo-Kun.

"T-Thank you," I said, my breath white against the black sky.

"You should be more careful," he chuckled. He still had a strong grip on my arms. I blushed and pulled away, sitting next to Yuki-Kun. I passed out the mugs and stared at the brown liquid steaming in my cup.

"Oh look!" Tohru exclaimed. "The sun is rising!" I looked up and watched the sky start to change. The black night became yellow, pink, and orange. I smiled at the beauty and began to think of a wish.

_I wish Kyo-Kun would open up to me more,_ I thought.

"This year I will beat that damn mouse for sure!" Kyo-Kun yelled now on his feet.

Yuki-Kun rolled him eyes. "Yeah in your dreams."

I sat at the table doing my homework. My brow furrowed in confusion. "Do you need help?" I looked up at Yuki-Kun.

"Yes please," I sighed. He sat next to me and began to explain. Everything he said flew over my head. I groaned and put my head on the table, grabbing fistfuls of hair.

He chuckled. "You'll get it, Takaki-San. Don't worry."

Shigure-Sama walked in, a towel draped around his head. "The bath is ready. Yuki-San, are you going to bathe?"

"Not today," he sighed.

"Huh?! You're not bathing? How unsanitary!" Shigure-Sama exclaimed.

"No, I think I have a cold."

I sat up, motherly side setting in. "Do you have a fever?" I asked, gently pressing my fingers to his head, then moving to his cheek. "Yes, you have a slight fever. You need to take some medicine, and then go to bed immediately." I walked to a cabinet, opening it and pouring a dark red liquid into a small cup. I handed it to Yuki-Kun and waited for him to drink it. He gave me a 'really?' look, but drank it. A shudder travelled down his body.

"I know. It tastes awful, but it works." I walked into the kitchen and washed the small cup, placing it back in the cupboard when I had finished. "You also shouldn't go to school tomorrow."

"No," Yuki-Kun said. "I need to go tomorrow. It's the endurance run."

"Endurance run?" Kyo-Kun appeared behind me. I squeaked in surprise and jumped back, tripping and landing on my butt. I cursed under my breath before standing.

"Tomorrow we have an endurance run?!" Kyo-Kun said, half yelling.

"Yes, you didn't know?" Yuki-Kun asked, staring at the television, a look of boredom on his face.

"Then it's a race!" Kyo-Kun's eyes shone. "I want everyone to know who runs the fastest!"

"No," I said, crossing my arms. "Yuki-Kun has a cold. He's in no shape to run."

"Cold?! That's because he lacks training. He's weak, like a girl, and easily gets sick. After you eat and rest, you'll get better. Don't think you can escape…" Kyo's eyes began to change color. I stepped in front of him.

"No," I growled, face hard.

"Excuse me?"

"No. He is not running."

"What are you his mother?!" Kyo-Kun snapped. "He'll be fine in the morning and we WILL race." He turned and walked upstairs. I sighed and turned to Yuki-Kun.

"Please don't run tomorrow," I said, face softening.

"I have to. He won't let me live it down if I don't." Yuki-Kun stood and walked to his room.


End file.
